by Sara Ansted
"Oh." His face fell as he understood.
"We've wasted an hour here when you knew all along?" Not for the first time, Evey was inches away from throttling the king with her bare hands.
Will cut in. "Sir Guy is sure to have escaped by now."
"And he has Robin!" Evey poked the king's chest. It was probably an act of treason, but she didn't even care.
"We don't know that for sure," he insisted.
"Oh, please. Where else could he be?"
"Where does this lead?" Will asked hastily.
"It runs underground, generally west."
"Then we might still be able to head him off." Will turned back to the group. "Your highness, you've got to lead a squad of knights to the place where Sir Guy will come out. If you leave now, and on horseback, you might be able to get there before he does. Evey, John, and I will stand guard here so he can't escape by doubling back."
"Stand guard? I don't think so." Evey readied her bow. "They've got Robin."
"You're just going to charge in?" the king asked.
"Yup," she replied at once.
"Don't. I can't let you risk your lives any further. Stay here and keep guard. We'll take care of Sir Guy."
"They have him, and I'm not going to let them keep him." Her tone was low and dangerous.
The king shook his head. "I won't have any more lives lost unnecessarily. That is an order. Stay here and keep the door."
Her eyes narrowed. "Didn't you hear what Will said? Take the knights. Cut off Sir Guy. NOW."
The flustered king ran off to carry out the orders and Evey turned to passage.
"I'm going after him."
John said, "King ordered us to stay here."
"I don't care. I won't leave him with that snake. You don't have to follow me."
Will rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. We're coming too."
John grunted his consent.
The tunnel itself was small and roughly hewn. There were occasional torches in brackets on the walls which had obviously been lit by Sir Guy and his men. They produced just enough light to see by, and made the scene somewhat surreal by casting flickering, elongated shadows.
Evey kept her bow in one hand and an arrow in the other as she ran. It was somewhat awkward, but she felt safer that way. Somewhere ahead was Sir Guy of Gisbourne, who would be the lucky first recipient of her arrow if she got the chance.
Just the thought of Sir Guy made her skin crawl. And the thought of Isaiah as his prisoner... she pushed the idea as far away as possible. It was too much to handle.
For twenty minutes they jogged down the tunnel, quiet and tense. Nothing happened. After another ten, the walls changed from stone to earth. The torches became less frequent and tree roots started to riddle the walls with dark alcoves.
She was so anxious to find the men, and so uninterested in the sameness of the brown surrounding them that she didn't pay much attention to the path. John grabbed her by the collar and halted her momentum.
"What?"
"Don't just barge around a sharp curve like that. They could be anywhere."
"Sorry," she mumbled. Idiot. She should have been on her guard. She'd never find Isaiah if she got herself killed.
Very slowly they made their way around the bend, sure that they would meet with some kind of attack. When nothing happened, Evey grew even more impatient. She forced herself to focus as they searched the area, but all she wanted was to get going again.
They found nothing. It was just a part of the tunnel that looked exactly like the rest of the tunnel. Onward they went. Time seemed to have deserted them. The minutes didn't pass at the proper speed. Before long, Evey felt like she'd been in the tunnels forever.
Eventually, she noticed something. It wasn't a sound or a shadow. She couldn't place exactly what it was. Her instincts told her to watch her back and she didn't understand why.
"I knew you'd come. What a pleasure it is to see you again."
The smarmy voice echoed through the tunnel. There was no way to tell where it came from.
Evey held her bow at half draw, but there was nothing to shoot at. "Show yourself, Sir Guy!"
"I don't think so, my dear. Your archery skills are the stuff of legend. Quite literally, as it happens."
"They're nothing compared to Robin Hood. When he finds you here-"
Sir Guy chuckled. "Let's not play games. You think I don't know your little secret? Robin Hood doesn't exist, does he? It was you, Lady Marion. All along, it was you. I really should have known."
"How could you possibly know any of that?" She tried to sound bored, but the crack in her voice gave her away.
"Please. I have your little friend here."
"He would never talk!"
"No. He's brave, if a bit stupid." The echo of his laugh send chills through Evey. "But he doesn't have to say anything. I was important in the court, you know. His father and I went to war together when we were both young and foolish. So I know who he is, and his name certainly isn't Robin."
Evey swallowed hard and didn't reply. She scanned the shadows, looking for any sign of movement, but there was nothing.
"I've got a little gift for you, Marion. Let's just call it collateral. You make a deal with me, or he dies."
Two guards appeared from around the next bend. Between them was a third figure, bound and gagged. They shoved him to his knees. Bruises covered one side of his face. He sat there for a moment, then fell to the ground in a heap.
"What have you done to him?" she shouted. Without waiting for an answer, she loosed two arrows. Both guards went down.
"Naughty, naughty. You shouldn't forget that I still have sixteen soldiers here with me. Do that again and I'll kill him anyway, deal or not."
Evey lowered her bow, but didn't relax her grip on it. Isaiah moaned and tried to stand. She took a step forward, but Sir Guy yelled, "Don't. Don't move. I have control here, Marion. Even now, my soldiers can see you, while you can't see them."
She cast her eyes around the tunnel again. All she could see were the alcoves under the tree roots. That had to be where the men were hidden.
"Alright, talk." As she spoke, she motioned for John and Will to back away slowly.
The instant John took the first step, knights came bursting from the shadows, completely surrounding them. Evey fired two arrows before the chaos cleared. Two more knights were out of the fight. But that still left fourteen.
"Don't kill them. Yet." Sir Guy sounded bored. "I want her alive. Really, my lady, must you make everything so difficult? Drop the bow. Now."
Isaiah groaned again. She had no choice. She dropped the weapon, but still couldn't speak from rage, exertion, and fear all vying for a place in her chest.
"Excellent choice," Sir Guy said casually. "Come quietly and you might all live a little longer."
Evey drew her sword instead.
"Who said anything about coming quietly?"
"A bit big for you, isn't it? That sword? Your talent with the bow is undoubtable, but swords are an entirely different matter."
She took up a defensive stance. "Care to put your words to a test? You and me, one on one. I win, you come with us. You win, we come with you."
"A tempting proposition, I admit," he replied. "Ever since you rearranged my face with your boot, I've been dying for some payback. But I have you outnumbered five to one. Why would I give up such marvelous odds?"
Evey raised her blade. Would it be better to fight while they had their weapons, or to play along with Sir Guy until a better chance opened up?
Sir Guy spoke again in a less enthusiastic voice. "It's really not a complicated question, you know. Come with me and live. Where is the down side?"
"You'll get rid of us eventually. How could we possibly trust you? And what would we gain?"
He sighed. "Your lives aren't a grand enough prize? But perhaps you are right. I should give you an idea of your incentive. Let's just say th
at I can offer you a deal. A much better deal than you can have gotten from the king."
"I think he's serious," Evey said in a falsely casual voice. "He actually thinks that we're doing this for money and fame. And we thought he was clever."
"Do you want to hear my proposal or not?"
"Well, I can guarantee I won't be accepting it," Evey answered. "But I'd love to hear it anyway. I'm curious to see what you thought you could bribe us with."
"You might not be so hasty to refuse me once I've had my say," Sir Guy said with a chuckle. "We'll begin with full pardons for all of you. Immunity for anything past, present, and future. You'll have prominent positions in court. Yes, even you my dear Marion. Viper though you are, I can overlook our past differences in the interest of a lucrative future together.
"You'll obviously have claim to any treasure or gold gathered during the course of your missions; a share in future profits; and best of all, you'll have your lives. All I ask in return is your service. You work for me. Undertake any missions that I see fit. The first, obviously, being to rid me of my competition. I know you are fully capable."
"So, kill the king and all of his sons?" Evey asked sardonically.
"To put it bluntly."
"So, you want some hired assassins. Well, I can't fault your taste. I'd make a wonderful enemy." Evey tightened her grip on the sword. "I've got to admit, though, I'm rather disappointed in you. I expected something partially tempting at least. I thought I might have to take at least four seconds to think before I refused you. But this is a bit below your usual standard isn't it?"
Sir Guy's voice dropped to a more threatening tone. "You're saying that you would choose to fight an already lost battle, and die in a forsaken, underground tunnel when instead you could choose wealth, power, fame, and freedom?"
"No. We're choosing honor over cowardice. You're asking us to betray our country, king, and everything we believe in, just to save our own skins. How can you think that we would ever even consider joining you? Especially with those conditions?" She wiped sweat from her forehead. "No, Gisbourne. You've made a huge mistake. You should have gotten rid of us while you had the chance."
"I've got the chance now. You're the one who has made a mistake in crossing me. Jorrin, the boy."
A huge soldier strode forward and kicked Isaiah squarely in the head. Evey's stomach clenched, and she white-knuckled the sword grip.
"Again!"
Jorrin kicked again, this time in the ribs.
"You will pay for that, Gisbourne." Evey's voice was low.
"Somehow I don't think so. Again!"
Jorrin grabbed Isaiah by the collar, hoisted him to his knees, and punched him in the gut, too close to his crossbow wound. Isaiah collapsed again, gasping for air. Tears ran down Evey's face, and she shook with rage.
"Again!"
Three punches flew, all to the gut. Before the fourth could land, Evey's sword had pierced Jorrin under his raised arm. For a long while, nobody moved. Then Jorrin fell to the ground.
As one Evey, Will, and John burst into action, overcoming three of the surprised guards. The remaining ten closed in quickly. In the confusion of the sudden attack, the tunnel walls served as their best defense. The tunnel was only wide enough for two to stand side by side, so the men couldn't crowd in all at once.
Evey threw her dagger at one, slashed the sword arm of a second, and knocked away the loosely held axe of a third all in one deft movement. John and Will were slower. Will's quarterstaff was not suited for such a confined space and John himself was large enough to limit his own movement. Even so, the soldiers fell before them one by one.
Evey fought hard. She was quick and small, but Sir Guy was right about one thing. The sword was not her strength. After several interminable minutes, there was only one man left on Evey's side. He seemed to be half drunk, but even drunk, he was better with his sword than she was. Evey parried desperately, only just keeping her footing. A moment later she landed a painful gash on the knight's weapon hand.
She parried a thrust, counter-attacked, and knocked the other sword wide. With a mighty swing, she smashed the hilt into the knight's stomach. For good measure she hit him over the head as well, knocking him unconscious.
Finally. She thought she'd lost that one for sure.
Things looked bad. John was pinned to the ground with his arm twisted awkwardly behind his back. Will's opponent had placed his boot on top of Will's throat, threatening to crush his airway at the slightest provocation.
She went for Will's attacker first, but it seemed too risky to attack with the sword. He might just step on Will. Instead, she tackled him. They both crashed to the ground in a confused mess. If the man had been at his best he could have trapped or killed her easily, but he was tired and surprised. Evey wiggled out of his grasp and slammed the sword hilt into his temple.
She snatched up her bow and aimed at the last man.
"Let him go or become a pin-cushion. Your choice."
The huge soldier looked around, saw his comrades had all been taken down, and raised his hands in surrender. John was a bit dazed, but unhurt. He stood and checked that his arm wasn't broken.
"Tie him," she ordered. John did as he was told.
Every surveyed the area and felt a bit nauseous. Dead and unconscious men were strewn everywhere. Yet again, this was the part of battle that she never considered. So many men had died on both sides, and all for what? How much of it was her own fault?
"John, check on Will. I'm going to..." She trailed off. None of the faces belonged to Isaiah.
She couldn't even scream. Her shaking fingers clenched her bow so tightly that she dropped it. Without another word, she scooped up her weapon and sprinted down the tunnel as fast as her legs could carry her. Sir Guy would not escape again.
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
The tunnel got dark quickly. Obviously Sir Guy wasn't going to stop and light torches along the way. That would slow him down. But then again, so would the dark. Evey picked up her pace. Though she could barely see, she somehow never hit a wall or tripped over the uneven ground. She didn't understand it, but she didn't stop to question it either.
A flicker of light stopped her. It was just strong enough to show the fork in the tunnel. The main passage continued to the left, but the light came from the right. It was just a tiny branch-off. Evey might not have noticed it at all if it weren't for the light.
Even with Isaiah's life on the line, she was wary of venturing into a dead end tunnel that had Sir Guy at the other end. If she waited long enough, the king's knights would come. They could rescue him without any more deaths.
Except Sir Guy's.
Isaiah's bruised face appeared in her mind. An instant later, she sprinted down the side tunnel.
The light couldn't be too far ahead. She caught glimpses of it just around every bend. Sir Guy wasn't being very cautious. Lighting a torch at all was dumb, unless he thought that he was safe. Evey nocked the arrow that she'd been holding. Well, he was definitely not safe.
The bend ahead was particularly sharp. The light didn't seem to be moving anymore, so she approached slowly, ready to fire the instant she saw Sir Guy. Just one shot. That's all she needed. She took in a deep breath and swung around the corner.
The torch was there, but Sir Guy wasn't. Evey almost threw her bow down in rage. He was playing with her. Even now, when his men were gone and he was cornered, he toyed with her mind.
The tunnel continued on the other side of the small chamber. Evey headed for it with extreme impatience. Halfway across, something hit her hard from behind. In a matter of seconds, she was on the ground with a sword point at her throat.
Sir Guy wore a grin that made her gasp.
"You put up a marvelous fight. I never expected to have my men bested by such young children. But in the end, I still win." He touched her neck with the sword point. "I'm feeling in a generous mood, so I'll give you one last chance to take my deal before I di
spatch you."
Evey brain went dizzy. She didn't know how much of it was due to the freely bleeding wound in her leg.
"Aren't you tired of taking second place?" Gisbourne asked almost mockingly.
"What?"
"Don't you hate having to prove yourself to everyone you meet?"
She struggled, but he nudged her again with the sword.
She froze, and glared. "What are you talking about?"
"Only a girl. Never to be taken seriously. No control over your own life. Your own future. Marriage and money and business... all things that are decided for you."
"Don't play games with me, Gisbourne," she shouted.
"Ah, but this isn't a game. I am not a fool. I see your potential. I understand your desires. Your skills. Your intelligence. I do not underestimate you because of your size or gender."
"Stop your babbling!" she screamed, desperately trying to ignore his words.
"Join me."
"Never!"
"Join me. Become what you have always wished to become. Leave your problems behind."
She still had a hold on her bow. She gripped it tightly and waited.
"Unless, of course, you want him dead."
Sir Guy glanced to the corner where Isaiah lay. In that instant, Evey swung the bow around. She swept Gisbourne's feet out from under him, drew her sword, and threw it in an overhead arc, aiming for his chest. He got his sword up just in time. He had no leverage while lying on his back, but neither did she.
It only took a moment to get to her feet, but Sir Guy was just as fast. He came in with a sweeping side blow and she blocked it. The force of the blow made her arm go half numb. He thrust and she parried. He swung again and she only just knocked it aside. Then the fighting started in earnest.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne was the steward of all things military. He had been a soldier his entire life. Evey had used a sword a mere handful of times. The fight was as one-sided as it was possible to be. Attack after attack rained in, and Evey just barely stopped each one.
She was tired, hot, bleeding, and scared. Sir Guy smiled evilly. He was still playing with her.
